Sports
African Challengers In Tough World Cup Draws
With six representatives, including South Africa which qualified as host, expectations prior to last Friday’s draws were high regarding the performance of African teams in South Africa 2010.
A heavy dose of reality, however, crashed down upon African hopes of a maiden FIFA World Cup title after the draw pitched the continent’s most-fancied teams in challenging groups.
Before the draws, through the qualifiers for 2010 Mundial, most arguments were centred on Ghana and Ivory Coast leading Africa’s onslaught in South Africa.
For Nigeria given their on impressive and unconvincing run through the qualifiers, despite their unbeaten record little attention was given to the Super Eagles.
Following the grouping, however, the largest black-African country will surely be happy with their Group B opponents Argentina, South Korea and Greece, who they defeated 2-0 when both countries met at USA ’94.
Nigeria had also had the upper hand in their meetings with Asian teams, so they know that the only team they should be bothered about is the Argentines who came off 2-1 victorious in their tie at USA ’94.
The pre-draw feelings seemed to have turned around for the Black Stars of Ghana who landed among Germany, Australia and Serbia in Group D, while the Ivorians will face Brazil, Portugal and North Korea in Group G.
There is thus the possibility that two of Africa’s leading football countries may take exit after the first round of matches.
The Ivorian and Ghanaian misfortune, as it were, means that the need to start looking for another potential African winner is inevitable, and Samuel Eto’o’s Cameroon immediately comes to mind.
The 1990 World Cup quarter finalists will fancy their chances against Denmark, Japan and Netherlands, and should they miraculously top Group E, they stand the chance of having an appealing second round tie with any of New Zealand, Paraguay or Slovakia.
Making up the numbers are Algeria, and of course hosts South Africa.
English eyes will be focusing on Algeria and January’s Nations Cup participation in war-ravaged Angola is going to be the subject of close scrutiny.
In truth, the Fennecs are a limited side, short on quality up front, and with only the lively Karim Ziani, buzzing around with any danger.
Last but by no means least, the second round hopes of hosts South Africa dimmed ever more when drawing two former World Cup winners France and Uruguay – and the experienced Mexicans.
Bafana Bafana, the lowest ranked team in the tournament, have scored once in seven games, won once in 11 games, but must now overcome three sides in Fifa’s top 20.
Yet it’s a fallacy to say the World Cup will be over if Carlos Alberto Parreira’s men crash out early because football fans in the host country have long been salivating at the thought of seeing their favourite players in South African stadiums.
With the draw having shown the planet what South Africa can do, overjoyed locals are finally realising that all talk of Plan B is now truly obsolete.
“The world is watching us and the world is coming,” Capetonians screamed with delight. And if Friday’s festival in the Mother City is anything to go by – street performers, oversized puppets and endless vuvuzelas to the fore – the 2010 World Cup is going to be as colourful as it is memorable.
Tottenham fought back from two-goals down to secure a deserved point against Brighton.
The Seagulls were second best for much of the match but found themselves 2-0 up after 31 minutes thanks to Yankuba Minteh’s early strike and Yasin Ayari’s powerful drive.
However, Richarlison halved the deficit just before half-time when he stopped a shot by Mohammed Kudus before slotting in.
Spurs dominated the second half but their finishing let them down as Richarlison and substitute Xavi Simons were both unable to make the most of promising opportunities.
But the equaliser came eight minutes from time when Jan Paul van Hecke turned Kudus’ cross into his own net.
Spurs then pushed for a winner as they looked to continue their impressive start to the season, but Brighton held on for the point.
Bundesliga: Kane Continues Goal Harvest (5)
Harry Kane scored his second hat-trick of the season as Bayern Munich overcame a shaky start to win at Hoffenheim and continue their 100% start.
The England captain, 32, broke the deadlock on the stroke of half-time with a clinical first-time finish from a cleverly worked low corner, and doubled Bayern’s lead from the spot after Albian Hajdari was harshly penalised for a handball.
That broke Hoffenheim’s resistance and Kane completed his ninth Bundesliga hat-trick with another penalty, given for a foul on substitute Michael Olise after a video assistant referee (VAR) check.
This time Kane sent home keeper Oliver Baumann the wrong way for his 13th Bayern goal in seven matches across all competitions this season, adding to his Champions League double against Chelsea last Wednesday.
“Hat-trick Harry is what they called me in school,” Kane told Tidesports source after the match. “That one kind of stuck when I was younger.”
“Any ball in the box, whether penalty or not, I back myself to hit the target.”
Hoffenheim had the better of the first 45 minutes, Fisnik Asllani only able to hit the post after goalkeeper Manuel Neuer passed straight to the Kosovan.
They eventually got some reward for their efforts, former West Ham full-back Vladimir Coufal’s deflected free-kick beating Neuer to earn the Czech his first goal for the club.
Ex-Liverpool winger Luis Diaz hit the top of the bar late on as he failed to continue his record of scoring in every Bundesliga game this season, but Serge Gnabry added a fourth for Bayern with the last kick, converting a rebound from a tight angle after Baumann saved from Joshua Kimmich.
Nicolas Jackson made his first start since joining Bayern on an initial loan deal from Chelsea, but the Senegal striker had a very quiet game before being replaced in the 62nd minute.
In Italy, Lorenzo Pellegrini fired Roma into the Serie A top four as Lazio had two players sent off in a fiery derby.
The midfielder found the bottom corner in the 38th minute as Roma extended their unbeaten run to four games against their city rivals.
Lazio have lost three of their opening games of the season and had Reda Belahyane and former Arsenal midfielder Matteo Guendouzi dismissed in late drama.
Roma started well and Rome-born Pellegrini claimed the vital goal – his fourth in a Rome derby after being available for transfer in the summer – following good work down the right by Matias Soule.
But the hosts will rue missed opportunities as Boulaye Dia, Mattia Zaccagni and Alessio Romagnoli all had openings.
With four minutes left substitute Belahyane was shown a red card for a late studs-up challenge on Manu Kone.
Danilo Cataldi struck the outside of the post for Lazio in a last-gasp effort to snatch a point, while team-mate Guendouzi was sent off for dissent after the final whistle.
Luca Zidane, the son of France’s World Cup-winning playmaker Zinedine, has switched his international allegiance from France to Algeria.
Born just outside Marseille, the 27-year-old goalkeeper had appeared for France at various youth levels.
The move, which was approved by Fifa, may enable Zidane to follow in his father’s footsteps by appearing at a World Cup, with Algeria expected to secure a place at the 2026 finals in North America in their qualifier against Somalia next month.
Zidane, who is the second of four brothers, all of whom came through the Real Madrid academy, currently plays for Spanish second tier side Granada.
He played two matches for Madrid and has La Liga experience at Rayo Vallecano, but dropped a level in 2022 to play for Eibar before heading to Andalusia in 2024.
Zidane qualifies for the North African country through his father, whose parents hailed from the Kabylie region of Algeria.
Zinedine Zidane, who is regarded as one of the games greatest players scored twice for France in their 1998 World Cup final victory over Brazil, but was famously sent-off in the 2006 final, which was won by Italy after a penalty shootout.
Manchester United capitalised on Robert Sanchez’s fifth-minute red card to secure a crucial victory over Chelsea in torrential rain at Old Trafford.
The first match in Premier League history to see two or more goals, red cards and substitutions in the first half was settled by goals from United skipper Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro, who was the other player sent off before the break.
It was Sanchez’s dismissal that set the course of the game though.
The Spain international raced from his goal to meet Bryan Mbeumo as the striker ran beyond the Chelsea defence.
Sanchez then upended the forward outside his area rather than allow him past to tap the ball into an empty net.
Enzo Maresca’s response to the red card was to take off both Pedro Neto and Estevao Willian and, as Cole Palmer had to be replaced after suffering a recurrence of a groin injury, Chelsea had lost three attacking players in the space of 20 minutes.
Trevor Chalobah pulled one back for Chelsea with a header 10 minutes from time but United kept their nerves at bay to make it to the final whistle with their lead intact.
The victory was United’s second of the season and came in front of minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who gave head coach Ruben Amorim assurances over his future 48 hours earlier.
It also means Chelsea have still not won at Old Trafford since 2013, when Sir Alex Ferguson was United manager.
